The Company We Keep
by griffin-queen-of-silver-skies
Summary: We all have those long, stressful nights when all we need is someone sitting next to us..


A/N: Hello world! Griffin-queen-of-sliver-skies here. Back from the dead, and sticking my head into a brand new fandom! I just recently finished both the Soul eater anime and the manga as well. And long story short, I loved it. I also fell in love with the character Crona, after having my heart melted by his tragic tale. I do, however, harbor the decision to keep him as a male (as you can tell be all the Him's I use… silly pronouns :p) As that was the way I was first introduced to the character, and I have seen many convincing arguments as to why he is male. ANYWAY. I hope you all enjoy my story, as this is my first fanfic in over two years now. I also apologize for the squished appearance of this story. i can't seem to figure out how to put extra space in between stuff and have the stupid editor thing actually SAVE my changes. Gonna work on that, I promise.

P.S- This story is dedicated to my super awesome friend, Is you heart in the game. Because I wuv her!.. Or is it because I'm slightly evil? you'll never know! *evil laugh*

It was a late night in Death city. Crimson streams of blood ran from the mouth of the grinning moon, making almost all who saw it yearn to be in their warm beds tucked away from its unsettling gaze. Most of the city was dark and quiet, save for the straggling night owls and the late night establishments that would stay open until the laughing sun woke up and rose into the sky. A cool breeze danced through the city, and the sky was clear. On this beautiful, clear night it seemed like the entire city was at ease…But as most stories often go, not everything is always as it appears to be.

The young scythe meister, Maka Albarn, was not at ease. In fact, she couldn't be farther from at ease. She sat at a desk in the apartment she shared with her partner, Soul, scribbling furiously into a notebook..

"Why can't I think tonight?" She mused aloud as her head hit her desk with a thud. "I don't believe this. I've battled things that could kill me with so much as a snap of their fingers without so much as a moment's hesitation….and this research paper is enough to freak me out?" She sighed. "maybe I'm thinking too hard about this… I need to calm down." She sunk into the chair, and let her thoughts drift, if only for a moment's time…

Her thoughts drifted to the battle that had took place just a few months prior. Her beloved comrades lay out of commission all around her, and she had only her courage and inner strength to vanquish the kishin Asura… the being whose very awakening had spread madness and disarray across the world. She had done it, and she had restored peace and balance to the world with only the assistance of one word.

"Shujaat…" She said aloud. Remembering the small postcard her mother had sent her, and the small, empowering word it had written on it in a foreign tongue. "shujaat…" She said again. The word rushed through her mind like a gentle stream, and suddenly she found the peace of mind she needed to write her paper…

Though as her words began to flow more easily, she was finally aware of how fatigued she was. A groan escaped her as her pen hit the paper and began to write…

" Maka…" A small, timid voice said from behind her. Maka jumped slightly and turned around. She was met with a tall, thin young boy in a white tank top and blue pajama pants with brightly colored stars and planets on them. He rubbed his one eye, then opened both eyes a little wider.

" Crona? What are you doing up? It's one-thirty in the morning…"

" W-well. I'm not used to sleeping much…N-not at night anyway….Um… W-what are you doing up?"

" It's this research paper… I…" She could feel her cheeks turning red with shame, "I forgot that it was due tomorrow…" She looked down into her lap, then her head picked up when she heard a strange sound from behind her.

" The great Maka Albarn, forgets a paper? I knew you'd slip up eventually, ugly-face!" She turned around to see mini-Ragnarock protruding from Crona's back, his bubbly eyes fixated on her.

" Ragnarock…" Crona said quietly. " S-stop. Maka is trying to write, and you're going to wake up Soul. Go away…" The black figure pounded on Crona's head with one of his bubbly fists.

" Shut up! I think it's hilarious. So I'm gonna harass her for it if I want to!" He knocked on Crona's head again, causing the boy to groan in pain.

" Yeah yeah, I forgot a paper…Put it in the news why don't you?" An angry, pulsing vein was appearing on Maka's forehead. Ragnarock let out a short, screechy laugh.

" This is great! I can't wait to see the look on your professor's face! It's gonna be the most entertainment I've had since the last time I got to eat a soul!" Ragnarock then retreated into Crona's back with another shrill chuckle.

" I-I'm sorry.. Maka." Crona said shakily.

" It's okay… It's not your fault."

" Um…" The young boy was suddenly very interested in his feet.

" What is it, Crona?" Maka asked

" U-uhh…." He swallowed nervously. "D-….d-do you want me to sit with you…F-for a while?" Maka smiled.

" Sure. I could use the company." Crona looked up at her, and soon walked over, pulling up a chair and sitting by her.

" Aren't you tired?" He asked once he was comfortable.

" Yeah…. Really tired. But I can't let this paper go. It's too important."

" I wish I could help you… but I'm not in that class yet." Crona let out a small groan. " I'm useless…" Maka gently reached back and flicked his forehead.

" Don't even…" She muttered. " Just you sitting here is all I need. It keeps me focused." She couldn't see, but a small smile danced across Crona's face. Maka chuckled softly, and continued to write the paper.

About an hour went by, and Crona still sat intently watching Maka write. Having not heard from his boisterous weapon in some time, he was beginning to wish for something to entertain himself. Thinking for a moment, an idea came to his head, and he rose form his chair and strode quietly into the kitchen. Maka, who hadn't realized that he had left, began to speak to him.

" Crona… can you tell me what time it is?" She waited for a second, but no response came. "Crona?" She turned around to find an empty chair. " Oh… he left? I wonder where he went." Her face saddened for a moment, but she soon turned around to continue writing, missing the company of her friend.

Crona switched on the kitchen light. Rubbing his eyes again, he was having slight difficulty becoming accustomed to the bright kitchen lights. He began opening cabinets and rummaging through them, and soon moved to the refrigerator and began to look through that as well, taking out what he needed and setting it all on the counter.

" I hope I don't mess up…" Crona muttered as he began constructing a sandwich. Turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a layer of mayonnaise on top. Crona admired his work for a second, then flinched awkwardly as he felt Ragnarok burst through his back yet again.

" Mmm. Food! Is it time for breakfast already?" Ragnarok looked excitedly around the room. " Hey! The sun's not up yet. What's the deal?"

" I-I'm making something for Maka."

" But this looks tasty! What makes that stupid girl deserve a fine morsel like this!" Ragnarok reached greedily for the sandwich, and he succeeded before Crona could stop him. Ragnarok reached out a white fist and lifted up the top piece of bread, chuckling heartily.

" Well well! Ya finally got a sense of humor! Giving the she-dog mayo…" Ragnarok laughed. " She hates mayo!" Ragnarok flopped around on Crona's head, rolling with laughter.

" That one's not for Maka…" Ragnarok stopped instantly.

" Eh?"

" I figured you'd try to eat the one I made for Maka…so this sandwich is for you…" The black apparition seemed flabbergasted. After a moment passed, his bubble eyes seemed watery.

" What a pal. I guess you do have a brain after all! Or maybe half of one at least!" Ragnarok knocked on Crona's head, though it was a little more gentle than usual. The stretchy white fist once again reached for the sandwich. " Bottoms up!" He said as his large black jaws hungrily devoured the sandwich in one drool-filled bite. An unsightly belch sounded from the weapon. "Not bad! I guess you're good for something after all!" He said as he once again retreated into Crona's back. Crona sighed, and put away the items he used for Ragnarok's meal. Taking out a different set of ingredients.

Back at her desk, Maka's head was resting in her hands as her pen glided unsteadily across her paper.

" Just… two more pages…Two more pages is nothing…right? I can do this." Slapping herself across the face, she sat upright again. Though it didn't last long as she soon returned her head to her hand. Her eyelids began to feel like sandbags were attached to them, and try as she might to fight it, they began to close.

Maka's eyes weren't closed for long before she awoke to a small noise next to her. Picking her head up, she looked to her left. What she noticed next to her was a nicely constructed, neatly cut peanut butter and jelly sandwich on a small plate, with a fresh glass of milk sitting next to it. Confused, maka spun around in her chair to see Crona standing behind her. He was visibly trembling and staring down at his feet. His hair was obscuring his face, and Maka had to drown out every speck of noise in the already quiet room to hear what he was saying.

" I-I thought you might something to eat while you work…S-so….so I made this for you…M-m-maka…"

" Crona.. You made this for me? That's so sweet." She smiled. " Peanut butter and jelly is my favorite."

" Y-your favorite?" He asked, finally picking up his head to reveal bright red cheeks.

" Mmhmm." She giggled. " Thank you Crona."

Crona slowly sat back down next to her. She continued writing as she nibbled away at the sandwich, washing it down with the ice cold milk.

" This is just what I needed. I can concentrate much better now." She said as she wrote. Crona's heart swelled with the knowledge that he was able to be of some aid to his dear friend. After a while, after she had finished the first half of the sandwich, she picked up the second half and offered it to Crona. "Would you like some? You made it after all."

" O-oh… No…no thank you." He said. She smiled and bit into the sandwich. After finishing the sandwich and milk, Crona took her dishes and brought them into the kitchen, returning shortly after.

" Crona…Look."

" Hmm?"

" I'm all finished!" Maka stood up, holding up her fingers in a V for Victory sign, and showing Crona her paper.

" That's good, Maka." Crona said with a smile, clapping his hands together softly. " Now you can get some sleep. Y-you deserve it." Maka yawned and rubbed her eyes.

" I dunno. It was my fault for not writing the stupid paper in the first place." She pulled Crona into a warm hug. " Thank you for keeping me company… You were a huge help tonight." Before he could respond, Maka stood up on her tiptoes and softly kissed his cheek. It was a soft pressure, followed by a burst of warmth; and for a second, Crona wasn't sure which way was up and which way was down. He came to his senses just in time to look at her, His cheeks once again bright enough to be seen even in the dim light.

" I-I….I….M-m…" Maka stopped his babbling with a giggle. They slowly released each other from the embrace after a few moments.

" Good night, Crona. I'll see you in the morning."

" G-good night….. Maka." He said as he watched her disappear into her bedroom. Crona walked into his own bedroom and sat down on his bed. _"W-what was that… that warm feeling….fuzzy feeling…" _Crona couldn't stop a fond smile from creeping onto his face as he laid down on his bed and drifted off into a sound sleep. Crona slept through the entire night, and awoke the next day as the sun came into the sky. The sun chuckled down at him, and for the very first time, he chuckled back.

E/N: BAHA! How was it? love? Hate? Some delicious combo of in-between? Feel free to comment! I had a blast writing this. Admittedly, my favorite part of the story was imagining Crona in those adorable PJ's xD. I couldn't help myself. Anyway. that's all for now. I await any and all feedback. griffin-queen out!


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